Vignettes of A Relationship
by Leigh Adams15
Summary: Percy's height is useful for something: helping Katie.


**Title**: Vignettes of a Relationship (1/1)  
**Author**: Leigh Adams  
**Characters**: Percy Weasley/Katie Bell  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 2,062  
**Summary**: Percy's height is useful for _something_: helping Katie.  
**Author's Notes**: Since I had the attention span of a gnat at work today, I thought I'd give the muse another workout. This was written for Rose as part of the Summer Activity at the LiveJournal community HP Wishes. I hope you enjoy!

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**November 4, 1991**

Percy didn't have time for any of the younger kids. They were always in the library, tucked away from Madame Pince's eagle-eyed glare, giggling over this or that Quidditch star or musician. It was enough to make even the most calm of prefects- which he thought he was- lose their mind. Didn't they realize that he was trying to _study_, which was what one was supposed to do in a library?

Shaking his head in disgust, Percy turned his attention back to the treatise on goblin politics he was reading for History of Magic.

About five minutes later, he started to hear a few little sounds coming from within the stacks. It didn't sound like giggles, nor did it sound like those students- himself and Penelope included- who seemed to find the library quite amorous. No, it sounded like someone was struggling with something.

He tried to ignore the noises, but they insistently continued emanating towards him. With a resigned sign, he set down his quill and pushed away from his work table. Maybe if he helped whoever needed assistance, then it would stop and leave him in peace.

Poking his head into the dim light between the stacks, he was surprised to see a little brunette girl, jumping up on her tiptoes in a futile attempt to reach a book. She looked familiar and was wearing a Gryffindor tie; Katie, he thought her name was. She was one of the twin's friends.

"Can I help you with that?" he asked politely, clearing his throat.

The look she gave him was so full of relief, it practically _radiated_ off of her. "Yes, please," she said. "I need the Gilson book on multiple use potions."

He took two steps towards her and easily plucked the book from the shelf. "This isn't something second years cover," he said, glancing down at the cover. "This is sixth year material."

"My family owns a potions business," she answered quietly, glancing up at him with big brown eyes. "I think it's interesting."

That _anyone_ thought potions was interesting was beyond Percy, especially with a professor like Professor Snape. That was a level of academic masochism that even surpassed his own.

"Well, enjoy," he said finally, handing the book to her. She was a tiny little thing for a second-year, all long brown hair and skinny hands.

"Thank you!" she chirped brightly, giving him a big smile as she took the book from him. With a flourish of her robes, she turned and scampered back to her own study table.

Percy watched her go, blinking twice before he remembered that he had other things to do besides play librarian to second year girls. Shaking his head, he turned back to his political treatises.

**July 19, 2005**

As executive assistant to the undersecretary of the International Magical Law Office, Percy did his fair share of research. However, it was a rare occasion that saw him down in the bowels of the Ministry archives, searching through old parchments and records. His assistant, Emma, had come down with dragon pox, though, and couldn't sift through the antiquated documents for him.

That was how he found himself, sans robes, pouring over an old tome in the feeble, flickering torchlight in the chilly archives. The entire department was prepping for a major case; his ex-girlfriend, Penelope, had uncovered information on a prominent smuggler of ailhotsy, and he was soon to be put to trial. And while Percy was quite proud of Penny's detective skills, he really did wish he wasn't the one searching through dusty old books for factoids that could be used for prosecution.

With a frustrated noise, Percy slammed the tome shut, immediately sneezing when a cloud of dust billowed up in his face. This wasn't what he was looking for, and it was like to give him an allergy attack for his troubles.

He siphoned away the dust with his wand, taking care to use only the prescribed spells recommended by the Ministry archivists. Even though it wasn't what he needed, it was still a priceless record on Egyptian exportation, and _someone_ would need it someday.

Brushing the dirt off his Oxford shirt, he lit the tip of his wand and began his search anew. The stacks seemed endless, each one the height of at least six grown men linked from head to toe. But Percy had practically been born in a library, and he was undaunted by the task.

He turned the corner and stopped in his tracks. There, not seven meters from him, was Katie Bell.

_All grown up_, a little voice in his head noted. No longer was she the awkward, gangly twelve year-old he'd encountered in the stacks. She was a full-blooded woman, and Percy was too much of a man to stop his eyes from drinking her in. Like him, she was without her robes… though he_desperately_ wished she'd cover herself. The sight of her in a little pencil skirt and smart blouse, capped off with a pair of four-inch heels was enough to make him forget anything about ailhotsy or Julian Vaisey.

His eyes had drifted to her legs, elongated by both the heels and the fact that she was reaching- on tiptoes- when he heard his name.

"Huh? What?" he asked hurriedly, snapping out of his mental reverie. He blushed profusely when he realized that it was Katie who'd spoken, not someone else, and he started to stammer out an apology when, to his embarrassment, she _laughed_.

"Can you give me a hand?" she asked, with a smile that no longer seemed innocent now that it was attached to that _body_. "I can't reach the Falmouth records."

"Of course," he answered automatically, easily reaching the wanted leather book for her. As he handed it away, he queried, "Why didn't you just use a Summoning Charm?"

Katie gave an exaggerated eye roll. "The old bat up front said not to use magic on these; they might fall apart. They're old though, so what the hell, you know?"

Percy followed maybe half of that logic, but he let it slide. "What… um, what are you doing here? I didn't know you worked here."

"I haven't been here long," she explained, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

_Freesia_, his mind supplied unhelpfully.

"After my injury, I decided not to go work at my dad's company, so I started in the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"George might've mentioned that," Percy mumbled, though he couldn't remember whether or not his brother actually had. He'd heard about her injury, though; she'd taken a Bludger to the shoulder blade, and the Healers had been unable to properly repair it enough.

Katie smiled again, and he felt his stomach do a little flip-flop. "So I'm working on contract negotiations with international teams. For friendlies, you know? Anyway, I better get back or my boss'll have my head. Thanks for the help!"

His gaze lingered on her lovely backside as she walked away from him, leaving a trail of her perfume in her wake. _All grown up…_

**December 22, 2005**

Percy didn't enjoy holiday parties. He didn't enjoy the needless intoxicated revelry that ensued as soon as the egg nog was poured, and he_certainly_ didn't enjoy the incessant nagging from his Mum. He would settle down and get married whenever he was ready to, and that certainly wasn't any time in the near future.  
This party, though, wasn't as bad as the usual ones. Oh sure, there was the prerequisite egg nog, the annoyingly loud Christmas crackers, and Celestina Warbeck playing on the wireless, but there was also something else.

Or _someone_.

He didn't know that George and Angelina had invited Katie to their party, but it shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. Katie and Angelina had been good friends since their days on the Gryffindor quidditch team, and she'd always been a part of the twins' little sextet.

His eyes followed her as she moved around the room, laughing and chatting with the various party guests. There weren't that many, just his brothers and their respective spouses along with a few family friends, but Katie seemed to have a word for every single person there. She spoke with Fleur in flawless French, played with Victoire and Dominique for a few moments, and then continued on her way to the kitchen.

Under the ruse of wanting more egg nog, Percy rose from the sofa and followed her. It was getting loud in the living room, and he needed some air and some quiet.

At least, that was what he was telling himself.

He stopped in the doorway and watched her move around the kitchen for a moment, refilling a platter with canapés. "Hello, Katie," he offered finally- _lamely_, his subconscious supplied.

She glanced up with surprise, and a smile spread across her face when she saw him. "Hi, Percy," she said happily. "Enjoying yourself?"

"A bit," he answered cautiously.

Katie laughed and continued about her task, but said, "Not your scene, eh?"

"Not really," Percy admitted, immediately blushing. "That probably sounded horrible, so please let me clarify. I love my family, but I don't like raucous parties with copious amounts of alcohol and embarrassing stories and all that sort."

"You don't have to explain," she reassured him, placing one final treat on the platter. "I understand, trust me."

"Oh good," he replied. His hand went to his collar, tugging at it. It suddenly felt like the center of the sun in the kitchen, though he wasn't sure if that was because he was _actually_ hot or because, suddenly, Katie was standing in front of him.

"Percy," she said softly, looking up at him through her lashes, "look up."

He did as he was instructed, and his eyes widened when he saw the sprig of mistletoe tied to the top of the door frame. He didn't know whether to curse or to cheer his luck; what he did know, though, was that this was _embarrassing_.

He glanced back down at her, but was silenced when Katie went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. It didn't last long, and neither party made any move to deepen it, but Percy still felt as though she'd thoroughly snogged him when she pulled away.

"Can't have bad luck," she said with a wink. "Happy Christmas, Percy."

**May 5, 2007**

His hands were clammy, and he felt as though his heart was beating so hard, it would soon burst out of his chest. He was sure that behind him, his brothers could see the visible shake in his legs, but none of that mattered at that moment.

No, what mattered was the woman standing in front of him, holding onto his clammy hands. Katie's face was lit up with a soft but brilliant smile, and she looked _so beautiful_ in her long, white dress. He knew that when he looked back upon this day, he wouldn't be able to remember _anything_.

A surprising fact in and of itself, considering Percy had a mind like a steel vice.

"Do you, Percival Ignatius Weasley, take this woman to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"I do," he said, his voice surprisingly steady.

The minister smiled and said, "And do you, Katelyn Elizabeth Bell, take this man to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Katie squeezed his hand softly, reassuringly, and simply said, "I do."

There was a ringing in Percy's ears, and he nearly missed the minister's next words. "Then by the power vested in me by Her Majesty's government, I hereby pronounce you man and wife. Son," he said, smiling at Percy, "you may kiss the bride."

And when Katie started to go up on her tiptoes, Percy grinned and cupped her face gently with one hand while his other arm banded around her waist. Ignoring the catcalls and whistles from his brothers, he bent his new wife over backwards and gave her a fiery, passionate kiss.


End file.
